Public Safety communication systems employ land mobile radios (LMRs) having dual watch receivers. Dual watch receivers may operate in single watch mode or dual watch mode. More particularly, dual watch receivers have two receiver paths. When operating in dual watch mode, the dual watch receiver uses both receiver paths, receiving traffic intended for the LMR via a first channel and a first receiver path while simultaneously scanning for signals in other channels using a second receiver path. When operating in a single watch mode, the dual watch receiver is receiving signals solely on one of the receiver paths while the other receiver path is disabled.
A sensitivity of a receiver is a critical specification of a radio, such as an LMR, that determines the lowest detectable signal level of the radio's receiver. Emergency situations may arise where public safety personnel, such as a firefighter, may be inside of a building where reception is poor due to obstructions and/or a noisy environment and the dual watch receiver of the LMR is operating close to the receiver's sensitivity. It may be critical, in such situations, that the LMR not lose contact with the public safety communication system.
One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common and well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention.